National paedophile hunters trapped Grimsby man who thought he was meeting 13-year-old girl for sex.

TWO paedophile hunters trapped and filmed a man who thought he was meeting a vulnerable 13-year-old girl for sex after talking to her on Facebook.

He wanted some “naughty fun” and offered to pay the girl £50 for sex but she did not actually exist and instead he got a “nasty surprise” from the two vigilantes, a court heard.

The paedophile hunters streamed live coverage of their confrontation with the sexual predator on Facebook.

Alan Boulter, 52, of Pershore Avenue, Grimsby, admitted attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming between November 21 and December 20.

Megan Rhys, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Boulter intended to meet a 13-year-old girl called Chloe that he believed he had been communicating with on Facebook.

But she did not exist and it was trap by a paedophile hunter who had set up fake profiles in the names of Shannon and Chloe.

He went to Grimsby railway station for the supposed meeting but was confronted by two vigilantes who filmed the encounter and streamed it live over Facebook to expose him.

This was seen by a neighbour of his, who was so concerned about his safety that she contacted the police, who went to his home. The vigilantes passed a disk of the internet conversations to the police.

Boulter told police he exchanged messages in a Facebook chatroom to the girl he thought was 13-year-old Shannon and the conversations became sexual.

He spoke about having sex with the girl but claimed that, once she told him she was 13, he was not interested in her sexually.

He chatted with Chloe for about a week and thought that both girls lived in the same care home in Doncaster.

He claimed that he received a telephone call from Chloe saying she was running away and a later call saying that she was at Grimsby railway station and was frightened.

Boulter claimed that his “intention was simply to take her home”, said Miss Rhys.

“It was dark and she was scared and he denied any sexual intentions to her.”

He was confronted at the station by the two men.

After the messages from the disk were downloaded, it emerged that he was after “naughty fun” and was looking for a female to come and see him for sex.

He asked her intimate questions and suggested things he would like to do to her. He wanted to have sex with her but she should not tell anyone because it was illegal. He would pay her £50 for this and would meet her at the station.

“She was not to come and see him if she didn’t want sex,” said Miss Rhys.

“There was nobody that actually existed for him to carry out the activity with, however.”

Julia Baggs, mitigating, said that Boulter made admissions, co-operated with police and understood the seriousness of the offence.

The ex-lorry driver had no previous convictions and worked in security for 16 years.

“He is ashamed and remorseful about his behaviour,” said Miss Baggs.

“It is fortunate that, on this occasion, there was no direct victim.”

Judge Mark Bury said: “It’s no thanks to him, though. He did everything he could to meet a 13-year-old girl.”

He told Boulter: “You went to Grimsby railway station intending to meet a 13-year-old child.

“You were under the impression that she was a vulnerable person in care and was running away and that she had come to meet you for sex.

“You got a nasty surprise when you arrived at the railway station.

“You were confronted by two men who filmed that confrontation.

“It’s clear that you were prepared to have sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl, possibly more than one.

“You offered to pay her. Of course, all of this was a scam. There was no 13-year-old girl but you did everything you could to make that happen.

“No harm has, in fact, been caused to any person. It’s clear that you intended very serious sexual offending against a child of 13.”

Boulter was jailed for 20 months and was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. He must register as a sex offender for 10 years.